Brand marketing promotion: Why does Haidilao never advertise?

As a leader in the catering industry, Haidilao is never short of topics. For example, in the "2019 Hurun Global Rich List" released not long ago, the founders of Haidilao, Zhang Yong and Shu Ping, were worth 56.5 billion yuan, making them the richest people in the catering industry and ranking 192nd on the global rich list. Many people have raised the topic: Why does Haidilao, which is so rich with a market value of hundreds of billions, never advertise? How did it gain favor among consumers? Let’s discuss this with you today.

01 Service is intangible. No matter how much you describe it, it is better to experience it in person.

Catering has always been the first choice for many people to start a business because of its low threshold, and hot pot has become the first choice for catering entrepreneurs because of its fast replication. However, competition in the market segments has become increasingly fierce, and homogeneity has become more serious. This has led to a situation where there are many imitators but many failures.

So, how can brands stand out? The answer is simple: differentiation .

In the hotpot industry where dishes are easily copied and menus are easily similar, Haidilao has found a way to differentiate itself - service, extremely abnormal service. You know, when something is done to the extreme, it becomes recognizable.

Haidilao’s service is extremely good, which is reflected in “free” and “tangible”.

Take "free" for example. In Haidilao's waiting area, customers are provided with free tea and snacks when they arrive, as well as free shows to watch. In addition, thoughtful waiters come up to serve customers from time to time, pouring tea and water and chatting with them to ensure that the atmosphere is not dull. Of course, if you want to have a manicure, Haidilao also has that. Therefore, many people are unwilling to move to the less crowded restaurant next door to dine even if they have to wait for two hours.

In other words, customers appear to be getting free services, but they have to pay more in the future.

Speaking of "tangible", service is an illusory thing, but Haidilao has turned service into a "tangible" existence. Each table has fixed waiters, and they "never allow" customers to do it themselves. The most basic service is that the customers' cups are always full and the towels at hand are always clean.

A more advanced approach is to create all kinds of surprises for consumers. For example, one netizen once posted that "Haidilao actually moved a crib for my son to sleep. Everyone, pay attention, it's a bed! I completely collapsed! Solving every problem for customers, the result is innovation", making customers feel that they are always by their side, as if there is nothing that Haidilao employees can't do, as long as the customers can't think of it.

However, no matter how unique and different the service is, only customers can make a comparison by experiencing it personally. It would be unpleasant to praise it with all kinds of flattering words. In other words, Haidilao’s biggest selling point is not suitable for massive advertising.

So, how does Haidilao capture consumers?

02 Social symbols can increase exposure invisibly

At a time when those born in the 1990s and 2000s have become the main force, whoever can be the first to explore the needs of young people and please them will be the first to occupy the market.

The new generation of young consumer groups was born with the Internet, commonly known as Generation Z. Social needs have long been their rigid needs. Haidilao has cleverly transformed itself into a social symbol for young consumers.

From products to services, to management models, Haidilao can always become a topic of conversation for consumers. For example, countless creative ideas can be derived about how to eat Haidilao. The egg, shrimp and gluten dish that was once popular on Douyin is a typical example. At that time, it attracted many consumers to go to Haidilao to try it out for themselves, and it also contributed many new ways of eating, which once became a must-talk topic for consumers on social media.

For example, in Haidilao’s management, “making employees happy” is taken as the corporate culture, which can make a group of ordinary consumers envy and discuss it, because everyone is a “worker”.

It can be said that everything about Haidilao, whether static, such as existing management and culture, or dynamic, such as innovative eating methods and services, can attract the attention of countless consumers.

In short, as long as it exists, there is no need to worry about no one discussing it. The symbolic Haidilao exists invisibly in the minds of consumers, and as long as there is a trigger point, it can instantly turn into a spark.

03 Content marketing, attract fans with stories

Compared to traditional advertising to sell products, the hot pot category is not suitable for this. Both the dishes and the soup base are extremely easy to copy. Even if it is a hot-selling product, it is not necessarily impossible for no one to learn how to make it. Today, with the widespread use of new media, Haidilao has found a new way, namely, to convey the spirit of Haidilao to consumers through new media. This is also a manifestation of the shift of functional needs of new consumer groups to value needs.

For example: At the beginning of the year, Haidilao created a set of promotional TVCs using "little emotions" as a breakthrough point, which were disseminated through social platforms such as Weibo and WeChat. There was no deliberate exaggeration, and each advertisement was a reflection of the daily life of ordinary people like us. Haidilao gave a detailed description of the conditions of working overtime and being alone, which increased consumers' resonance and allowed them to establish an emotional connection with the brand.

Little Emotions: White-collar Workers:

For example, Haidilao previously created a TVC on the topic of blind dates, recreating the experience of "older" men and women looking for love. Haidilao gave a good interpretation of blind dates and love, which deeply touched the hearts of consumers.

In fact, in today's world where heartfelt advertising is rampant, there are many advertisements with themes such as small emotions and love. However, Haidilao is able to use the method of putting new wine in old bottles and highly inspiring emotions to tell stories that are closer to people's hearts, establish its "companionship" brand image to consumers, thereby gaining consumers' attention, fully mobilizing consumers' enthusiasm, and establishing an emotional connection with consumers.

In short, in the era of traditional media, channels are king, but in today's Internet era, media convergence has become an established fact, and content is the key to entering the minds of consumers. This means that brands must learn to tell stories. Haidilao is good at telling stories, including brand stories and user stories, allowing consumers to feel Haidilao’s dedication through the stories, thereby enhancing stickiness. After all, “only good stories last forever.”

04 Word-of-mouth marketing to enhance user credibility

Due to the baptism of information bombardment, Generation Z is more cautious in handling information, and the brand's "self-promotion" approach has long been unsuitable for the new market rules. At this point, word of mouth is like "authoritative certification", which increases credibility.

For example, Haidilao’s service is good, but just doing well is not enough, everyone must know that Haidilao is doing well. At this time, word-of-mouth marketing becomes particularly important.

By taking advantage of consumers' desire to show off, share, and be recognized, and on the premise of improving service quality, creating a good dining environment, and enriching the menu, Haidilao spreads the word through relatives, friends, colleagues, and classmates. In addition, Haidilao also guides public opinion through KOLs on social platforms such as Douyin, so that users can influence more users. Compared with traditional advertising, it is more credible, allowing consumers to build trust in the brand and making every consumer a "walking advertisement."

From the above we can see that Haidilao does not stop advertising, but has integrated advertising into consumers' lives.

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Author:007

Source: Marketing World 007 (ID: yingxiaojie978)